Heather move pics uploaded

[beebreeder]

As Murray will no doubt agree, if its not well organised a disaster of one sort or another will doubtless result either millions of dead bees or millions of angry bees having been tipped out of their home as usually happens at least once in the states on the annual almond pollination run

 

[Into the lions den]

As Murray will no doubt agree, if its not well organised a disaster of one sort or another will doubtless result either millions of dead bees or millions of angry bees having been tipped out of their home as usually happens at least once in the states on the annual almond pollination run

I think the US operation is amazing. There can be 1000 truckloads on the road on any one night, doing many times the mileage we do...................and I think there have been four actual big tipovers in the last 15 years, the worst at Elkton. (actually that was more like 25 yrs ago I think)

If WE were trying the same thing we would have more incidients than that.

Have moved bees in the US, and any idea its a badly organised and slap dash operation (and some DO suggest that) is to completely misunderstand how it is done.

 

[beebreeder]

Not saying the US operations are not organised, its like you say the numbers game, they move so many compared to this country the odd mishap is bound to happen, as we all never know what or who is coming round the corner. They are also generally more mechanised with swingers and palletised colonies, the whole thing is designed for migratory beekeeping. Your move is probably the largest movement of bees in this country for the year. Quinces move many of theirs onto the moor with their fastracks but a far smaller distance

 

[meidel]

Have really enjoyed the pictures - the scenery is simply stunning, the number hives moved staggering! Thank you

 

[Into the lions den]

As Murray will no doubt agree, if its not well organised a disaster of one sort or another will doubtless result either millions of dead bees or millions of angry bees having been tipped out of their home as usually happens at least once in the states on the annual almond pollination run

My friend glen who runs a mid sized outfit in California ( makes us look titchy) says the biggest losses are caused by delays at state border inspection stations. Looking for fire ants on the hive bottoms and pallets I understand. Whole loads have overheated waiting for that, they need to trucks to keep moving to stay cool.

The colonies are all moved open, they never close the entrances, but using migratory floors and roofs (no telescoping (their term) roofs), the hives are pretty tightly packed, and dissipation of heat is an issue.

Glen is happy he does not have this to cope with as he never goes out of state, but there are inspection posts on internal highways too. We went over a road known locally as 'the grapevine' which is a major highway from the central valley to the LA area, and at one place we were brielfy stopped and apparently at that time at that place full 200 to 400 colony bee loads would come through at the rate of 200 trucks a night, for a brief week or so, just at the start or finish of the almond work.

 

[Into the lions den]

If you think this shift is a big thing...........try this video..............it may have been posted here before...think the link I folow is one of Nortons from elsewhere.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yiOjAA8loI&feature=mh_lolz&list=HL1312208697[/ame]

 

[tonybloke]

I lost count of the number of lorries being loaded onto the ferry!!

 

[gavin]

Cracking pics Murray. Not got any of the post-move shindig?!

 

[Into the lions den]

Cracking pics Murray. Not got any of the post-move shindig?!

Yes, but awaiting the blackmail payments to be made to my numbered bank account before deciding if to publish or not! Poor Jolkas mind is a blank on the second half of the evening (she is not alone, there were some sorry sights), so plenty opporutunities for winding up. I was sober as I wanted them all to relax and enjoy, so as the boss I volunteered for the taxi duty.

 

[Poly Hive]

I heard the locals shut their doors and windows when a certain outfit is moving to the moors in deepest west country.

PH

 

[hallshoney]

if its the outfit up the road from me, they now net them down but still dont use entrance blocks and still move in the middle of the day !

 

[oliver90owner]

A question for ITLD.

Is there any possible contact with any of the bees in Scotland (that had all the trouble with EFB in recent times), and if so, are they coming back south at the end of this?

 

[gavin]

Maybe someone who knows Murray well can chip in on his behalf. Possible? Yes. Significantly so? No.

Murray is - in my view - the most assiduous and determined of the Tayside commercial beekeepers to knock back the disease to very low levels. He has the help of the aforementioned Jolka in that enterprise, one of the best beekeepers with the sharpest pair of eyes around. The disease is down to trivial levels in the Scottish units which are usually managed by a separate team and which have both main season and heather season sites in different areas. Murray has put a huge effort into replacing comb in his Scottish units to get the disease down to background levels, and add to that the separation of the Scottish and west country bees operations.

Couple that with the fact that the west country was seen as EFB-central in Ted Hooper's time and I think that you can see that there is no real EFB risk from Murray's bees picking up something whilst up here on their late summer holidays that would make much difference.

 

[Into the lions den]

A question for ITLD.

Is there any possible contact with any of the bees in Scotland (that had all the trouble with EFB in recent times), and if so, are they coming back south at the end of this?

No. The reason they are so far north is to be well beyond the EFB area. This was an arrangement put in place to be sure not to vector our outbreak to the south. They have dedicated gear which is never mixed with gear from the local unit here. The heather locations chosen are also intentionally extremely isolated and behind locked gates miles up tracks, with no other beekeeper allowed in, so chance encounters with local bees are going to be very few if any. There are no other known bees in these places other than the southern Co-op bees. Our local bees are, by agreement with the authorities, confined to following their traditional routes only so never go to these places.

There is some crossover (as in using the Aberdeenshire Co-op unit to top up the south one which is a long way from capacity yet) from the northern Co-op unit to the south one, but that too is a unit located well outside the EFB area. The bees will be returning to the southern areas for wintering after removal of their heather crop, so probably early October.

As for the EFB outbreak, well it now seems to be getting well under control and this years density of infection will not be much different from that prevalent in the areas of the south they spend most of the year in. If the southern unit contracts any EFB or AFB it is 95% likley to have been a Hereford or Gloucestershire acquired problem. Some day it will happen, its just a normal hazard of beekeeping. The bees HAVE been inspected both last autumn and this spring, and nothing found. Meg on here was on the inspection of the Cirencester lot, and I have no complaints if she was to come on and discuss it.

Any more questions please ask away.

 

[herefordshirehoney]

We had an email round from association saying "There has been European foulbrood in the Eardisley area, and American foulbrood at Tillington. " just down the road from Hereford. I'm just crossing my fingers.

 

[Into the lions den]

We had an email round from association saying "There has been European foulbrood in the Eardisley area, and American foulbrood at Tillington. " just down the road from Hereford. I'm just crossing my fingers.

One of the beekeepers involved (the AFB) contacted me personally to give me the 'heads up'.................thats the kind of co-operation that will get us somewhere!

 

[Beezer]

One of the beekeepers involved (the AFB) contacted me personally to give me the 'heads up'.................thats the kind of co-operation that will get us somewhere!

Good to know you appreciated the "heads up" and the man doing that wasn't lambasted and pilloried like BBG was when he did it on here causing DanBee and Hallshoney for two, to behave poorly and open threats made on this forum without hindrance.

Personal interest versus Bees' interest, not hard for men to stand on the right side.

Photographs very good!

 

[oliver90owner]

There is more than a subtle difference between rumour-mongering and this instance. Some may not even know the difference.

 

[Into the lions den]

Personal interest versus Bees' interest, not hard for men to stand on the right side.

Actually, if paranoia can be taken out of things, people wanting to hide away a finding, then both interests become the same. Minimised EFB/AFB levels are in the interests of both the bees and their keepers. Alerting others in the area when you find it helps them get an early handle on what might be going on in their own hives, and ultimately thus generates a more healthy environment for yourself. Self interest = Bees interest.

The worst enemy of openness is not the disease but those who would pillory people who are unfortunate enough to end up with it.

Having a colony (or more) that contracts either of the foulbroods is not a thing a beekeeper should be stigmatised for, after all it can happen to anyone. The measure of their ability and worth as a beekeeper is how soon they find it, and what happens next............

Being in some kind of denial/neglect/incompetent situation, and thus being a reserve of either type of foulbrood for your area over a protracted period is a problem. Those are the only beekeepers that deserve any kind of stigma.

 

[Beezer]

There is more than a subtle difference between rumour-mongering and this instance. Some may not even know the difference.

Rumour? Fact : there were 26 colonies destroyed and more found the following month.

Making people aware there could be a problem is to be welcomed.

ITLD
Transparency - yes, if only - some day.

People should not think there is a stigma, as said it can happen to anyone.